The graceful, spreading shapes of these long floating reeds caught my attention from across the lake. As I got closer, I saw that tiny drops of ice had formed along their bases – beautiful crystal bells that clung to the stems and just touched the gently rippling water.
I photographed the reeds close up, composing the photo so they diverged chaotically toward the edges of the frame. I like the way the structure of this photograph almost blossoms – it seems to expand and draw in my eye as I look.
Three distinct planes interact in this photograph – the reeds, the sunken stems, and the surface of the water itself. The slight texture on the water hints at yet another – the sporadic spring breeze, gently rocking the reeds and making the hazy sunlight play over the surface of the lake.
Reeds, Ice Drops: Near Squamish, BC, 2003
I have created two interpretations of this scene. The Colour Photograph is a match to the original slide, while the Black and White Photograph is a second interpretation in monochrome.